The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-03-25
REIklDuIION.
TRUTH is STRANGER THAN FICTION.
The Fate Of nj. Stanisles valery-a Strange
Improvisation.


haired man, about forty, wearing
full blonde beard: another Was man
about thirtytve, also fair-haired aid
full bearded, but not ever medium
height. and the third was a young man
of about twenty three, with dark hair,
dark complexion and no beard, stand
ing about five feet ten and well put
together. They informed the persons
at the inn that they were there for
pleasure. and they amused themselves
by tis ing in small stream which
flowed rom the hills to the northward
of the tow1,. They never brought any
fish to the inn, but they gave the land
lord to understand that they caught
plenty and gave them away to the
peasants whom they ret. These three
men were expert burglars and lieves.
The largest of them was an ! glish-
man, named Tibbald, possessj how
ever, many aliases. and we'll X wn to
the police of London and mo- Vt the
large towns of England. La, Fly he
had been operating in Belgi n, and
within the last three months re had
been associated with gang of thieves
whose headquarters were III Paris
The second was a Frenchman whose
real name was Jurbise, ano; 70 had
for years been engaged in rob les in
various parts of France, havi. only
recently been released from 'rison,
where he had served term three
years. The third was Xix Use a
Frenc man, by name Libert, had
recent been discharged from situa-
ton in paris for having e: "zzled
o large sum of money. T his
father, who was a respectable n, had
made good, and so the yo, had
escaped punishment. He ha ,ssoci-
ated himself with a band of ltlaws
and had been selected by Tibh; i'd and
Jurbise to accompany them on their
present mission, as he was good
talker had an attractive face and
form, and bore himself with the air Of
an artist ncrat.
In the valley between Autun and the
small town of Lucenay, lying to the
north. was the chateau Arl,nge. the
residence of an old gentleman named
Santigny. He was wealthy AMI reputed
to be miser, and his abode had
been selected by Tibbald as one that
was probably worth robbing. The OBJ
ject of the visit of the three men to
Autun was to procure information,
and, if advisable, at once 30 undertake
the sacking of the chateau. The
chateau lay near the stream in which
the men professed to fish, and. while
passing as harmless strangers on
pleasant tour. they endeavornd to gain
from the peasants such information
as might be of use in aiding them to
carry out their wicked designs. They
succeeded beyond their expectations,
and after three days sojourn made up
their minds to put into execution the
plan which they had formed for the
pillaging of the chateau. Early in the
afternoon of the fourth day. I.ibert
presented himself at the main entrance
of the chateau, and inquired fol-
Monsieur Santigny. An old woman
informed him that her master was in
the garden, and pointed out to him
the way thither.
DO you mean to say, ma'amselle,"
Libert said, using the last word te
tickle the ;old lady's vanity, "that
monsieur, at his age, works in the
garden?"
Indeed, he does," was the answer,
"for he's got no one else to do the
work"
"Why, one would have thought he
would have left the labor for one of his
servantsr said Libert.
Zone of his servantsv exclaimed The
old lady. "Why, I'm the only living
being about the place except nself."
This was just what Libert lnted to
ascertain, and, politely bowling to the
woman, he turned toward tn ntrance
to the garden. On passing within the
enclosure, he at once saw Mons.
Santigny. pproaching him, he bowed
with much politeness, and said:
"Mons Santigny, I and my friends,
who are visiting this lovely spo 'lesire
to present you with this basket If fish,
which we caught in the stream a little
beyond your domain"
Iibert removed the fishing basket